Encouraging busy moms to get fit, eat clean and be happy

Share This:

If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it is that sugar is in so many unexpected foods. I’ve often found myself feeling perplexed thinking “why is sugar in this?” You see, the low fat craze of the 80’s forced food manufacturers to remove fat. When they removed the fat, they quickly realized they removed the taste. You know what they added to make the food taste better? You guessed it. Sugar.

To help you navigate the grocery store, I’ve come up with my first list of 10 surprising foods with added sugar.

Ok, here we go….

Applesauce:

Yep, and many contain high fructose corn syrup. Completely unnecessary.

What to Buy Instead: Fortunately there is a better option. Simply buy unsweetened. Costco sells an organic, unsweetened applesauce. Meijer and Kroger brands have an organic, unsweetened version as well.

JIF is a big offender here, plus they add a bunch of other silly ingredients…which is why JIF doesn’t actually taste like peanuts. There are plenty more offenders out there too.

What to Buy Instead:

We recently switched to Costco’s Kirkland organic peanut butter, which has no added sugar. If you are not picky about organic, you can buy Smucker’s Natural peanut butter which is available at most grocery stores. I will mention that peanuts do absorb large amounts of pesticides due to their porous shell, so if you or your kids eat a lot of peanut butter, try and buy organic.

From Scratch Recipe:

I’m not going to provide a from-scratch option here. I’m not big on making peanut butter from scratch due to the aflatoxin risk. Aflatoxins are known carcinogens. If you make your own peanut butter or grind your own at the store, there is a higher aflatoxin risk. Equipment MUST be thoroughly cleaned, and thoroughly cleaned frequently. I personally feel it isn’t worth the risk considering homemade and grind your own peanut butters consistently test higher for aflatoxins compared to store bought. Store bought peanut butter that you buy in a jar is tested for aflatoxin levels, which makes me feel safer. Here is an article from Fox News about aflatoxins.

PLAIN Cheerios:

Who knew! They’re bland and don’t taste sweet, but the sugar is there as the third ingredient.

What to Buy Instead:

Puffed Rice or Ezekiel 4:9 brand. Both are available at most health food stores.

This makes sense because barbeque has a sweet kick to it, but many don’t associate sugar with potato chips. Sugar is indeed typically part of the seasoning though, which is what makes barbeque chips SO delectable!

What to Buy Instead:

Well, I have yet to find a barbeque chip that doesn’t have added sugar, so I would suggest just sticking with the plain potato chips. When it comes to chips, we typically buy Kettle Brand; Sea Salt flavor. Nothing questionable in them and they are available at most grocery stores.

From Scratch Recipe:

Again, since barbeque sauce pretty much has to have sugar, I have yet to find a recipe that will work here. If you have one, by all means, send that recipe over!

Bread:

And yes….bread is no exception to the beast of added sugar. It’s in almost all breads.

What to Buy Instead:

Ezekiel bread – which is usually found in the freezer section at most grocery stores. Ezekiel bread has a tougher texture, but simply pop it in the toaster and the texture is immediately more palatable. The cinnamon and raisin flavor is super delicious too!

If you follow me at all, you know how much we love our pancakes in this house. This is the recipe we use. Just add some unsweetened peanut butter to them and they taste great!

Wheat Thins:

THREE versions of sugar are added to a box of Wheat Thins! You’ll see them listed as sugar, malt syrup and refiners syrup. Geez. #OodlesOfSugar

What to Buy Instead:

Try Crunchmaster Multi Seed Crackers, original or roasted garlic flavor. Many of the Crunchmaster flavors have added sugar, but these versions do not. They’re gluten free too! I just bought a big box at Costco yesterday and I’ve also seen them at Meijer.

As I mentioned before, condiments can be big offenders. Ketchup almost always has some form of added sugar, whether it be sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Don’t be misled by the marketing labels! They may claim “no high fructose corn syrup”, but will still add sugar.

What to Buy Instead:

Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Unsweetened Ketchup. I personally buy this at our local Earthfare.

Whew…my list is complete (for now anyway….this list is to be continued).

Is it any wonder we’re addicted to food? It’s a proven fact that sugar is addicting. If sugar is hidden in so many foods, it is absolutely no surprise we’re overeating. It’s no wonder our kids are overeating and childhood obesity is an epidemic.

If you’re browsing labels and find words ending in “ose” or “syrup”, assume it’s a version of sugar. It’s a tricky, label reading world out there!

P.S. You have to read the ingredient label. You CANNOT determine if there is added sugar by looking at the grams of sugar (although this is coming)!

Your turn to educate me; which foods were YOU surprised to find have added sugars?

Share This: After a courageous battle with lung cancer, my great aunt passed away last week. This meant we were going back to my hometown and spending a few days at my parents house. Uh oh…. Grandma and Grandpa’s house is where I have always let my food rules slide. Grandma and Grandpa’s was DEFINITELY […]

Share This: Years ago I whipped up a commonly-ate food in our home; Eve’s Happy Belly Banana Muffins. To this day they are one of the most popular recipes on my website. They’re gluten and dairy free, and oh so tasty. Fast-forward to today and our family is now on a #60DaysNoSugar journey. For the […]

Share This: So, days 1 and 2 were mostly a success. Don’t get me wrong, we’re dealing with some reality over here…. such as, our daughter throwing a fit because she couldn’t eat her gluten free bread or cereal. Or a couple kids complaining that they had veggies on their plate AGAIN. This was to […]

Share This: Photo Credit: June E Photography Monday, January 5th is a pretty big day in the Boudreau household! We’re embarking on something pretty crazy, yet something I’m passionate about. My hubby, our three kiddos and I will be removing added sugar from our diet for 60 days (for a few exceptions, see below). Yep, […]

Share This: So last Friday was the big day; we bought our Christmas tree and decorated our house. It’s one of my favorite days of the year because it is a day dedicated completely to our own little family. It’s the day our elf on the shelf, Fifi, arrives and it’s the first day of […]

Share This: I often get asked “what do you guys eat?” We’re pretty simple eaters actually, but far from perfect. I cook, but I don’t really like to, so the easier the better. It’s a labor of love. But, since you have asked, here is a general idea of our weekly menu. Keep in mind, […]

Share This: It’s official. I’m done with Whole30. Well, kind of, but I’ll explain that later. It was great and I’m excited to share with you my Whole30 experience. You can see how I faired the first half of Whole30 by checking out my Halfway Done with Whole30 Post. That post also explains what Whole30 […]

Share This: As we were heading in to the grocery store it was raining, and our five year old daughter was in a super cute pair of boots. It hadn’t rained in a while, and this was a good rain. The type of rain that makes a lot of puddles… the type of puddles perfect […]

Share This: The leaves are turning, the thermometer is dropping and another summer of fun has come and gone. Women everywhere are dragging out their fall wardrobe and riding boots eager to wear something other than flip flops. Pumpkins are being carved into jack-o-lanterns and Halloween costumes are popping up everywhere. Yep, fall has arrived […]